The Subtle Optimism of 'O Heroi'

Written by Elisha Kiala

Still from ‘O Heroi’ dir. ZeZe Gambou

‘O Heroi’(2004) is an Angolan film directed by Zeze Gambou. This film explores Angolan life post-civil war (1975-2002). The Angolan civil war was a conflict between the MPLA and UNITA. The Soviet Union and Cuba supported the MPLA, a Marxist organisation and South Africa and the United States supported UNITA. This conflict was primarily about the ideological and ethnic differences between the Angolan people once they gained their independence from Portugal. In addition, Portugal’s inability to leave Angola peacefully. This conflict caused much terror among Angolan families nationally. ‘O Heroi’ examines how Angolan society broke down structurally. For example, in schooling, many children were absent and struggling to adjust to life without the threat of war. Children went missing, and mothers were left alone. What is beautiful about this film is its ability to display Angola’s courage and optimism in a time of distress and sadness. The film follows a soldier, a teacher and a boy. Within this essay, I will be focusing on ‘Vitioro’, a 20-year veteran whose life was completely shattered because of this conflict. Despite this, he was successful in rebuilding a life full of peace, love and healing. ‘Vitiroro’ became a child soldier. As explained in the film, as a child, he was forced to become a soldier through violence. His life, therefore after was spent on battlefields fighting against his people. He became a general, but as showcased, this title did not absolve him from experiencing extreme amounts of poverty and loneliness, due to the amount of loss he experienced from being a soldier. For impoverished people, becoming a soldier proved to have many economic benefits.

In a time of ‘independence’, many Angolan people did not have access to jobs and opportunities due to language and race. Many did not speak Portuguese and were black; because of this, they were treated like third-class citizens. This meant that it was easier for them to see a future in the military because it provided them with a job and the illusion of safety. Rosen writes, “Most became child soldiers because it was the only way to save their lives. Had they remained civilians, they would have been murdered. At the least, this case illustrates that although being a child soldier may not be good for some children, it may be an absolute necessity.” As illustrated, the ethics around child soldiering are blurred. Like ‘Vitoro’ soldering, was a means to save his life, if he denied becoming a part of this institution he would have been killed and as a child that is fearful. Him becoming a child soldier saved his life. But in this I became very critical of the military. How could he possibly serving his country when he is doing this out of his own will. When does patriotism and nationalism become a means of control. This film is critical of the lines these ideologies cross. It is not necessarily about finding the right leaders, but about fighting for the most powerful ones. This is done by using children and poor adults as pawns to a larger game that in the end will leave them oppressed either way. 

In a culture where soilders are supposed to be treated like hero’s , ‘Vitutoro’ is denied inclusion within society. It’s as if Gambou is being critical of the fact that though fighting for your country or cause could seem noble. In actuality it is more destructive and should not be praise. I came from this film thinking about, how many lives were being denied when those at the top use civilians as pawns to a game of power.I’m thinking about how each person within this society in the film has been made a victim of a corrupt system- a legacy of Portuguese colonialism. As we move along in this story, we begin to see ‘Vitutoro’s’ strength in rebuilding a life for himself. He goes from sleeping on the streets every night to slowly falling in love with the bartender, ‘Maria’. Their love is not linear; it begins fast and then decreases in pace. But their shared pain from the war brings them closer. ‘Maria’ lost her child during the war, often going to local radio stations like many other mothers at this time. Saying her child’s name and asking for them to come back. They do this in hope that their children are not dead from the war. Her grief is deep. She is a woman who is openly promiscuous but also very guarded with her emotions. She does not feel completely free in either and this can be attributed to the anxieties the civil war brought her. Finding ‘Vitutoro’ I do not believe she knew they would end up together, but seemingly, despite his flaws, they still feel like a strong fit for each other. This is the beauty of the film, amid all the hardship that occurred, love was the continuity between them. For Angolan communities this is what helped them survive such a turbulent time in their history. 

Ojong Ayuk writes, “...the many years of slavery and colonial domination have to some extent hampered the development of indigenous african cultures. Culture as we will soon see, can only thrive under freedom and liberty”. Portuguese colonialism stripped Angolan people of a lot of their cultures. For example, Angolan people were not permitted to speak their native languages like Kikongo or Kimundu but were forced to speak Portugese. In addition, they had to swap indigenous Angolan names for Portugese ones. If they refused it would make it harder for them to work and support themselves economically. As Ayuk states, culture does indeed thrive under freedom. This is true for the Angolan people. The ending of the Civil War in 2002, brought in a new culture which was Kuduro. In summary, Kuduro is a genre that began in the 1980s but gained its huge boom in the early 2000s. Today, it is one of Angola's most popular genres. The electronic drum patterns are energetic and magnectic encouraging people to dance and celebrate. This displays how music is an extension of culture, and how culture thrives in freedom. This genre has been the soundtrack to Angola’s freedom and aided in helping Angolan people establish a sense of normalcy during and after the war. “Kuduro was more so a celebration of being alive”, said by Producer Coreon Du. 

Though Kuduro is not showcased within the film, I wanted to include it because it is a genre that showcases the courage of Angolan people. This film to me is so symbolic to the challenges that many African people experience because of colonialism. Though, we are still able to create cultures that sustain us and our communities. This is something that will continue to live on after us. 

References

‘Building a National Culture’- Ojong Ayuk 

‘The Politics of Child Soldiers’ - Jason Hart

‘Kuduro, the dance that keeps Angola going: The Record NPR’- Anastasia Tcsioulcas